ARTICLES ABOUT BEDSORES BY DATE - PAGE 2

Q-Is there a possible magical cure for bedsores? We're caring for our aged and ailing mother at home, and we're fighting an ongoing battle with her bedsores. What can you add to our understanding of this terrible condition, and do you have any secret potion? A-I wish I had the remedy that could rid all sufferers of their bedsores (decubitus ulcers, in medical jargon). Over the centuries there have probably been thousands of treatments suggested or tried to relieve bedridden patients of these gaping sores.

Four Philadelphia nursing home officials and their employer have been charged with manslaughter in the deaths of two patients who succumbed to bedsores. Medical experts told the grand jury that the bedridden women weren`t given adequate food and water and weren`t regularly repositioned to prevent bedsores. Margaret White, 75, died in November at the Care Pavilion in Philadelphia with a bedsore so deep it penetrated her internal organs "and her bowels drained out of her hip," state Atty.

The state said Thursday that it is seeking to revoke the license of a Bloomingdale nursing home twice cited for failing to treat patients for bedsores. The Illinois Department of Public Health said it would take the action and levy a $15,000 fine against the 207-bed Carington Living Center, 275 E. Army Trail Rd. State inspectors visited the home March 28 and found at least seven patients with untreated bedsores, officials said. In January, the department fined the home $5,000 for the same problem.

Q--What's a "pressure ulcer" and how is it treated? A--You`ve heard of bedsores. They`re also called pressure ulcers and decubitus ulcers. They are caused by pressure on the tissue that decreases blood supply, thus causing a breakdown in the skin and, in severe cases, fat and muscle. Bedsores can be a life-threatening problem because they are open areas that can be full of stubborn infection. They`re easy to prevent and hard to treat. Anyone bedridden person unable to change positions frequently is especially prone to the problem and should be assisted to do so at least every two hours.

BEDSORES AFFLICT more than a million Americans every year and contribute to 60,000 deaths, yet they are something that most doctors would rather ignore. Research is underway that offers hope for improved care, and several devices to help prevent bedsores exist. But most physicians know little about these developments, experts say, and some doctors apply treatments that are actually harmful. And those doctors who are well-versed in the treatment of bedsores are hampered by the unwillingness of Medicare to pay for preventive care--even though the agency will pay far more to treat bedsores once they develop.